


Adventures fill your heart

by kizaten



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Disaster Gays, F/F, Female Keith (Voltron), Female Shiro (Voltron), Fluff, Japanese Shiro (Voltron), Mutual Pining, Now there's only one bed, Sightseeing, Traveling
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-21
Updated: 2020-09-21
Packaged: 2021-03-07 17:00:47
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 8,920
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26571061
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kizaten/pseuds/kizaten
Summary: Shiro was always attentive, patient, and even though Keith would say she was insisting at first, there was nothing that made her feel pushed into anything. Almost as if Shiro was only offering things and not complaining if Keith took them or not, just giving… She has always been like that.And now, thanks to that giving nature, they’re heading to Japan on a trip together.
Relationships: Keith/Shiro (Voltron)
Comments: 6
Kudos: 16
Collections: Femsheith Exchange 2020





	Adventures fill your heart

**Author's Note:**

  * For [NeekQueen](https://archiveofourown.org/users/NeekQueen/gifts).



> This was a really fun thing to write!  
> Thanks to Bog gremlin for being an amazing beta ♥

There are always moments in which Keith has asked herself what has she ever done to deserve someone like Shiro. Ever since the very beginning, when they barely started to have more sustained chats than the fruitless attempts Shiro always came with. Truth to be told, the reason for them being fruitless was Keith and her stubbornness, most of the time. She just didn’t know how to handle the attention Shiro was giving her. Positive attention.

She was used to being criticized, having people look down on her because of that resting bitch face and the actual rude and harsh attitude behind it. Keith didn’t like people and wasn’t afraid to show it. The problem was that Shiro didn’t seem to pick up the hint. 

She was always attentive, patient, and even though Keith would say she was insisting at first, there was nothing that made her feel pushed into anything. Almost as if Shiro was only offering things and not complaining if Keith took them or not, just giving… She has always been like that. 

And now, thanks to that giving nature, they’re heading to Japan on a trip together. 

When Shiro first came up with the idea, Keith just accepted because it sounded like a crazy dream, something worth trying. She had never left the country and getting to know a place so close to Shiro’s background would be amazing, in addition to the wonders the country might offer on its own. She said yes as in “someday would be nice,” not really sure of that day coming or not. And it was fine, they could discuss that kind of thing after all. They trusted each other enough for that and Keith was happy about that. It was like dreaming together.

But then planning started, Shiro made a whole plan to save money and then they were booking flights and picking seats and even buying suitcases. Planning was no longer about “someday,” there was a date for that day, and it would be forever printed on her passport. As if it would ever leave her head…

Keith thinks about this again and again as they sit together side by side in the plane. It’s early, too early in the morning, and it feels cold with the air conditioner on full power. There’s a grumble in her stomach that’s hard to define as hunger or just nervousness. It’s even harder to say which one of them she’d prefer. 

There are lots of reasons to be nervous, and even when a big reason is linked to the flight itself, the trip also has a considerable amount of them. She’s excited, of course she is, exploring a place so different with a whole bunch of new things to experience will for sure mean a lot. Plus, she’s with the best company she could wish for. 

That’s the strongest source of nervousness without a doubt.

Keith has always enjoyed Shiro’s company, this dear friendship is more than she could ask for and yet… She’s been thinking lately on a lot of things that somehow feel wrong. Like she shouldn’t. Like this thing with Shiro is not something she should enjoy _this_ much.

She’s not stupid enough to not know what it _means_ , it’s just… that this isn’t the right moment to be going through it. 

Crushing on her friend when they’re going to be alone at the other side of the world is… is not going to be easy.

“You look pale, are you ok?” Shiro asks beside her, her voice partially pulling Keith out of her thoughts. 

“I’m fine” Keith just shrugs and tries to smile. 

She knows she fails, because then Shiro’s rummaging through her bag saying she has some pills for motion sickness that could help her. And even when she finds being taken care of really endearing, this is only adding to what has her this dizzy in the first place. Or maybe it isn’t, maybe it will actually help. Shiro finds the pills and hands them to her. 

“It will be a long flight, it’s better to make sure everything’s in order,” she suggests as Keith downs two small pills with the terribly expensive water they bought near the boarding gates. She smiles at her and after pushing her bag under the seat in front of hers, she yawns. 

They have enough time to try and have some sleep, and even when it isn’t easy in the cramped row, at least they’re not sharing the third seat with anyone and eventually manage to more or less stretch and lean on each other to have some more support and comfort as they rest. Then they choose a movie, have some chatting and food. It’s tedious. Long. But part of the adventure they’re on.

After more than ten hours, the plane touches down and they have to go through the torment of waiting and following long aisles to the crowded migration lines. Shiro has it easier, and Keith’s really nervous as she waits for her turn. She’s not the only foreigner in line, but anytime she hears a guard or migration staff speak in english, she’s not even sure of knowing the language floating around anymore. It’s almost like a new one, with sharp sounds chopped with rough visual signs to support the whole thing. It’s a complete mess and she’s scared of messing something up just because she couldn’t understand a question. Damn, she even regrets not knowing at least a few phrases in japanese to navigate through the airport without this problem. This uneasiness stays with her until she’s face to face with a nice man that actually speaks English rather than chomping it as she had heard others do. It’s easy, answering questions and getting her fingerprints and that kind of stuff registered, then she can finally meet with Shiro and go down to pick their luggage. A quick inspection of their suitcases is the last thing before they’re finally crossing the gates out of the airport. 

“Oh god!” It’s big, bright and crowded; Keith sticks close to Shiro and follows her on every step from the arrival gate to the train station. They have to manage with the bulky suitcases in the cart but at least the ride wouldn’t take long, as Shiro said when they bought the tickets. It’s strange listening to all the voices in a foreign language around her, it’s like she’s not fitting with the rest of the scenery. It hits her how different it all is, more when she notices even Shiro’s voice is mixed in the conversations. Keith cannot figure what she’s saying, but that soft soothing voice speaks the same to her heart no matter the situation. It’s grounding, letting her hold on to the certainty of having a place with Shiro no matter what.

After changing trains twice, they get out and start walking through the streets and to smaller ones. Keith can only focus on the rolling of the wheels of her suitcase behind her, and the pull on her arm as she drags it. Like that, they make it to the first place they’d spend the night. It’s a small hostel with lots of common areas and Keith’s having a hard time trying to remember what exactly made them choose this place, her mind’s empty as she absently listens to Shiro and the front desk lady talk about the details of their booking. At least, that's what she thinks it might be about.

They get an access card for the front door and then they’re guided upstairs to the rooms. They’re sharing a bunk bed in a room with three other ones. They have curtains for privacy and a row of lockers they can use to leave their stuff. And that’s when she remembers. 

The place is cheap, that’s why they chose it, just for the night since they’re going to be walking and seeing the city during the day, that’s what they agreed to. 

They push the suitcases into the lockers that are barely big enough to keep them in, then they go out again on a quick trip to a convenience store to grab something simple for dinner. Even buying there is a true experience, Shiro follows her around and helps her telling what are the things she gets curious about, she tells what Keith needs to know about flavours, texture or if things are overpriced. It’s like being a child again, needing this much guidance only to buy a bag of cookies. Besides Shiro’s instructions, they don’t need a lot of words to get their stuff and then head back to the hostel. They’re not allowed to eat in the room, so they stay in the common area as they munch the snacks they bought. They’re not the only foreigners at the moment, so the chat with two other guests can flow easily in the same language. Keith’s grateful for that, even when she doesn’t feel like talking too much, she can find relief in understanding Shiro and the others. 

They have an intense game building a big tall block tower until it falls; after cleaning up they all go to their rooms to sleep. That’s the first night. 

Shiro’s excited to show her everything, taking her here and there, telling what she knows about the places they visit and guiding her through it. Buying train tickets, reading prices and deciding if it’s cheap or not, what is worthy of trying and what would give her a stomach ache. Of course, she shares about her previous times there, and when Keith finally realizes they’re visiting Shiro’s favorite places, her heart flutters and she feels so happy just to be in that great city following her steps. 

Even when she didn’t grow in the big city, Shiro still had the chance to travel there some times while she still lived in Japan. It must be nice, kind of rediscovering lots of things as she shows Keith around, and Keith’s also quite happy with the experiences they hoard day by day. 

They spend a week only exploring Tokyo, going shopping and eating. Mostly eating. There are lots of places that require more time, Shiro explains, as they spend mostly an entire day on each of the districts she wants to show her. Of all of them, Odaiba is her favorite so far. 

The beach is peaceful, even when it’s not a good place to swim it’s kind of a surprise. She has seen and visited some beaches before, but the feeling she gets by this place surrounded by the city makes it quite interesting. She knows they’re facing the ocean, somehow, but it’s… it’s also way too cold to even think of taking a step in the water. Yet, they take pictures on the side and Keith dares to get on some rocks to get better pictures with the bridge behind her. Shiro gets nice shots, but still, Keith’s favorites are the ones in which they’re together. They eat something big and greasy and then walk some more to a Ferris wheel. They’re alone at the cabin, looking at the area from the top and the lights and all those things make Keith’s poor heart jump more and more and she’s this close to jumping on her friend and smooch her all over right there and then. She manages to hold back those crazy urges, but those that are impossible to stop come out as a sudden need to snap tons of pictures of Shiro framed by the night sky and the lights outside the cabin.

The ride back to the hostel after that is silent and Keith’s grateful she can excuse herself with tiredness. What a long day. 

She needs to decide what to do, it’s strange and maybe it’s just the amount of time they’re spending alone that's making her feelings grow this much. Yet, she’s absolutely sure she had no salvation from the first moment Shiro’s smile started to look beyond simply nice to absolutely stunning. She can’t help it.

Shiro’s beautiful, tall, fit, smart, kind, her hair is perfect, her voice a dream and her words and ways of going through the world… How can someone hold back their heart when facing such a force of attraction? What is she supposed to do? 

Shiro’s quite hot as well.

Keith’s been having that kind of thought pushed at the back of her head most of the time, it’s something she knows but tries not to think about it too much. So it’s a great surprise when she finds herself before Shiro as they try out some clothes at some store in Harajuku and things just get impossible to bottle up.

Shiro tries on a black dress, and it shouldn’t be such a predicament, in fact it’s a pretty simple piece, a black velvet dress with a subtle v neckline and thin straps to hold it, and the long skirt has a lot of movement. It looked pretty ordinary on the mannequin, even simpler on the hanger. But on Shiro… It changes a lot. The dress fits her like a glove, her waist looks perfect and the cleavage isn't that subtle all of the sudden.

“You’re so hot” And just out of nowhere those words slip out Keith’s mouth carelessly as a primal response. 

It just happens, and she isn't able to hold them back because she only realizes they’re out when Shiro giggles at her with a teasing look.

“Really?” She asks, as if she really needed a confirmation. Like she doesn’t know it very well herself.

“Yes… It suits you” Keith tries to mask it and begs for her face not to give her away. She rushes back to the changing space behind curtains and her own looks doesn’t worry her anymore.

Shiro buys the dress and Keith fears the memory that will haunt here whenever she sees that on Shiro. At the same time… she can’t wait to see it again. 

Tokyo adventures are finally over and they enter the next week of their trip, changing cities early in the morning. They rush through train stations again and make it to Kyoto. The place is different, the view is amazing and like traveling back in time to traditional Japan, but the rhythm is mostly the same they’ve been carrying since day one. Except on their second day, after the long walk through thousands and thousands of red tori up to the top of a sanctuary, Shiro hurts her legs and feels too tired to do something else. They walk slowly to the hostel they’re staying for the next two nights and to make sure Shiro rests properly. Keith bluntly offers to help her with a massage. 

“It’s nice,” Shiro says as she touches up her calves and then carefully seizes the sides of her thighs.

Keith’s embarrassed and grateful for the suggestion that led them to this and has a hard time to find a way to stop her head from thinking on Shiro’s legs and go to sleep. She’s sure this is going to ruin her, unsure of how to take these small bits of intimacy that the trip’s been giving them. 

Not only the massage, but the conversations and the everyday activities they have to figure out together. It feels great and Keith doesn’t want to go back to the time when they didn’t share this much. Even discussing what and where to eat makes her happy. 

Shiro gets a small souvenir for her and then Keith gets something in return and they start getting all kinds of simple gifts for each other and Keith just can’t take it. It feels closer. And it’s painfully raising her hopes. 

It’s just because of the trip, she tells herself, just a crush, nothing more. 

But, has a crush always been this hard to handle?

Keith’s sure it can only get worse. 

They spend the day near one of the most famous passages, it’s filled with shops and cozy cafeterias, but of course, that’s not the part that makes Keith’s heart pump like crazy and her hopes of hiding any crushy feeling to jump out of the picture. They’re invited by a smiling young woman, probably younger than them, to try on a kimono for pictures. Shiro translates for Keith and as she sees Keith’s face paralyze with confusion, Shiro accepts and drags her in. 

Shiro’s beautiful, but seeing her in a kimono is too much to handle. 

They dress her in a long black kimono with elegant prints of cranes about to fly and some flowers on the bottom of the long body and sleeves. Shiro does her own hair up and chooses a pretty piece with flowers and tiny crystals hanging from the long metal stick to decorate her head. She turns to Keith with a smile once she’s done and Keith goes silent and disconnects from the ladies getting her dressed in a red kimono. 

She keeps her eyes on Shiro after that, quiet and only nodding to anything she says. They choose their shoes (wooden slippers) and then make their way out of the store to continue their walk to the temple at the top.

“You look really good, Keith.” Shiro tells her with a smile and Keith can only look down as she begs for her face not to change color and her hand moves blindly to reach for her braid that’s no longer when it usually hangs over her shoulder. “Look this way, I’ll take some pictures of you.”

Keith obeys, shyly raising her gaze from the floor to meet Shiro’s camera. Shiro guides her from her spot, telling her how to pose or where to look, and even though it’s not the first time this has happened, Keith feels her legs tremble and her heart scream. 

Shiro tells her to turn to the other side so she can take some pictures of the busy street behind her. Then, Keith suggests taking pictures of Shiro in return. Like before, but her voice sounds softer and she has to repeat herself twice before Shiro hands her the phone. Shiro looks beautiful on every shot. At least, that's what Keith sees. 

They go around the temple and Shiro gets some charms that she explains to Keith as they walk back to return the kimono. They even film a bit of their walk, only to keep a more vivid memory. Keith knows she’ll drown herself in those videos just to hear Shiro’s voice narrating what they’re doing and saying she looks pretty dressed like that. It was fun after all, and once they’re walking back on their own clothes, Keith’s nervousness settles back to the usual one. 

That’s their last night there. 

For the next couple of days, Shiro picks a small town that’s no way touristic. It’s a whole 180 on the plan they had until then, not that Keith is picky about the location, but she knows a small town won’t be the same as a city with all the commodities for foreigners and novelties they would want. But Shiro’s excited to show Keith around and this private countryside adventure seems to be quite exciting for her. 

“One of my friends grew up there, it’s not that bad” She promises as they share some rest in the common area, playing cards.

“Have you ever been there?” 

“Hmmm… Not really, but I’ve heard enough.”

“And… You already have everything planned? Bookings and stuff like that?”

“I thought we could just get there and see what we can get.” 

Shiro smiles and looks up to her. That’s… That’s really new and it actually worries her. It’s not something she’d expect from Shiro, more like something she’d do herself. Still, it actually sounds appealing, a little bit of adventure. Keith smiles too and accepts without further thinking. She’d go with Shiro pretty much anywhere. 

She can trust her with this.

The next morning, they leave the hostel and get on the train to the mysterious destination. The ride takes four long hours, with line changes and unreserved tickets that forced them to stay on their feet for a fraction of the ride. It started early and Keith’s tired, sleeping on Shiro’s shoulder whenever they get to sit together. That’s also a nice thing.

She misses some of the landscapes they’re going through, being too busy snoring to focus on what’s outside. Shiro wakes her and guides her with the same patience and care she has always shown, yet, Keith’s grateful for the extra gesture of taking her hand to walk her around the stations. It’s like a dream. 

Once they finally arrive, Keith feels amazed by how seriously small the town looks. Even the station is simple compared to the others they stopped by that day. Right outside the train station, they go to an information office where they rent a couple of bicycles to move around, and it’s actually fun to hear Shiro ask for directions and some recommendations. What’s not fun at all is the struggle to tie the suitcases on the back of each bicycle, still, that’s better than walking around dragging them. 

Shiro leads in front of her, heading to the first hostel of the ones she got recommended at the information office. She leaves the bicycle outside and even when Keith doubts before getting off hers, she follows Shiro, trusting the honesty she has seen in bigger cities of the country. Shiro asks for a room but they’re fully booked, as she tells Keith once they turn and walk out. 

“They think we won’t find a single place with a vacancy for us.” 

“Oh fuck.” Keith curses. “Well… We can always sleep at the beach.” 

“No, we’ll find something.” Shiro assures her, but she’s probably unsure of it.

They mount again and go to another two hostels, receiving the same answer. They don’t have rooms and don’t think anyone else will. It’s strange, why is a town so small completely booked? Keith wonders, but when they ride closer to the beach she can see why. It’s a nice place, there are some people swimming and lots of others just having fun on the sand. 

“I’m sure it will be clean by the night, we can find a spot.” She jokes again. 

“That’s another hostel, let’s try there.” Shiro points to a building near them. The last before the road widens to the beach on one side and a growing cliff on the other. They park and walk in. 

Shiro speaks for a while and the woman leaves to talk to someone else, leaving them just waiting. 

“What did she say?” Keith asks Shiro as she looks at the fish tank they have there.

“She’s going to see if they have a vacant room. Said she heard someone cancelled but she wants to make sure before offering us that place.”

Keith nods. 

The lady comes back and Shiro speaks to her. Keith can’t understand a single word, but she can recognize relief in Shiro’s voice and the way her body relaxes while they speak. Shiro speaks a bit more and then gets the booking done. 

“We have a room!” She announces showing Keith the key and then they’re guided upstairs to where they will stay. The building is big on the inside, but looks older than the other hostels, and even when they have a key, the inside of the room is completely traditional, from the floor style to the small table and the closet’s sliding doors. It all looks like she had seen on pictures and soap operas. But… Well, of course it’s a hostel and it’s rather simple and cheap. 

The lady tells them she will bring tea in a bit, and in the meantime they just leave their stuff and sit down on the floor to rest for a while. They have some tea and then go out to walk at the beach. 

They play with the sand and then take some pictures together, again, Shiro records a video showing the beach behind them and the back of the hostal where they’re staying, she tells the story of how this was the only one with vacant rooms and that they rode their bicycles around carrying the suitcases, how this made it harder to keep balance and other things that make her and Keith giggle. 

“Now we’ll go and find something to eat!” Keith tells their nonexistent audience, emerging from behind Shiro and resting her chin on her shoulder.

“That’s right, I’m starving.” Shiro agrees and rests her cheek on Keith’s head, looking at the screen of her phone. She then waves goodbye and stops the recording. While she gets her phone back into her pocket, she doesn't mind Keith’s still resting on her, in fact, she turns to rest her face on Keith’s head again and even nuzzles to her. “Let’s go.” She only says before moving, giving Keith the chance to get back upright. 

As they walk back to the hostel to get the bicycles, Keith replays again and again the feeling of that brief affectionate moment. 

They end up at a small cafeteria right in front of the station. It’s cozy and the food is interesting, Shiro has fish and Keith orders an omurice, a dish she has grown to like during the trip. They eat and chat as usual, Shiro teases her telling omurice is usually a dish considered childish and the reaction she gets from Keith with this only makes her laugh more and more. Childish or not, Keith likes it. 

“You’re like a baby sometimes,”Shiro tells her.

“Oh, really? How? Like I’m babbling and getting my face dirty all the time? I’m not a baby!” She complains.

Just after that, Shiro reaches across the table and wipes her face with her thumb. Keith stays still, looking at her unable to believe what’s happening, Shiro touches her and then she’s just resuming her own dish, eating naturally.

“You had rice on you. Like a baby.” 

“Not a baby!”

“Sure thing, Keith…” Shiro smiles. “Baby.”

And just like that, what was supposed to be teasing leaves Keith short circuiting in a second. Shiro called her baby. 

“I’m… not…” Keith pouts and looks away, taking a napkin to clean her own face, just in case. Shiro giggles. “If you really think I am then keep calling me that!” 

“Oh, I will, baby!” Shiro takes the challenge. 

Keith almost chokes on her own saliva. 

She tries not to give any other reason for Shiro to call her a baby during their meal, but when she asks for a dessert she gets another one of those looks and Shiro only mutters baby when Keith can see her. She really hopes she’s not blushing as madly as she feels her face burning, and yet, if it happens or not, Shiro doesn’t point it out. Their chat goes on naturally and they share the parfait Keith ordered. 

After paying and on their way back to the hostel, they stop by the only convenience store they find and get some snacks. When they reach the hostel it’s already dark outside. Keith’s a bit tired after all and was hoping to go up and drop in bed until the next day, but once she steps back into their room, she discovers something she must have seen from the beginning. 

“Shiro, where’s the bed?” She asks and feels stupid for it. 

“Oh!” Shiro closes the door and heads to the closet. “Here, we have to unfold the futon and that’s the bed. They told me when we got to the room, I forgot to show you how, I’m sorry…”

Keith looks at her as Shiro takes out what looks like big comforters and places them on the floor. She tries to understand but she still wonders, where’s the bed?

Shiro pushes the table and makes room for both pieces to lay side by side, then places another layer on top and a couple of pillows. She sits down on one of them and looks up at Keith waiting for her reaction.

“That… That’s it?” 

“Yes. It’s easy, like this we have more space during the day and just take them out when we’re going to sleep.” 

Keith nods, not wanting to keep asking questions when there wouldn’t be any solution to them. She sits on the other futon and looks at Shiro. It’s the first time on the entire trip that they’ve been alone in a room. 

They change clothes and turn off the lights to sleep. Keith tries, but the thing is just as uncomfortable as it looked. It has zero support, it’s like sleeping on the carpet! She turns all night and whenever she lays her eyes on Shiro she hates her a little for sleeping so easily on those. At some point, Keith sleeps, but by the next morning it’s clear she had no rest at night. 

“You ok, baby?” Shiro asks when she sees she’s awake. And that thing alone makes it all feel brighter. 

“I’ll take a shower so we can go out.” Keith announces, pushing the heavy cover off her legs and getting up. 

“Bathroom’s downstairs.” Shiro lets her know. “I’ll go there in a few.”

“Ok.”

Keith takes her stuff and walks downstairs as she was told, but she can’t find the bathroom. When she does… she’s completely confused. 

She sees two doors and goes through the one that has a symbol she can identify now as “female” but once she’s there she sees a big wooden cabinet with baskets and towels. There’s clothes in one of those so she just leaves hers in one too and takes the towel. Then, what should she do? She opens the other door, the one that she thinks might guide her to the showers, because it had been like that in the other hostels they stayed before, but she has a huge surprise in this one. Behind the door, there’s a single room and right in front of her eyes, a lady in the bathtub. A big bathtub.

Keith closes the door again.

“Oh fuck!” 

She stays there, shaking with anxiety to figure out what she can do. She wants to clean herself but… but there’s someone else there. She’s in the middle of her break down when she sees the door opening again and Shiro comes in. 

“Hey. What’s wrong?” She asks Keith. 

“The bathroom…”

“What’s with the bathroom?” 

“There’s someone in there…” She says and it sounds like she’s talking about some freaking ghost. Shiro looks at her like Keith’s speaking in a different language, not getting what she’s saying, which is very simple: there’s someone in the bathroom already.

Shiro looks around and then realization comes to her face. She covers her mouth and finally, Keith sees the same surprise she’s feeling painting Shiro’s face.

“It’s a communal bathroom!” 

“What do you mean communal?” Keith asks, losing her shit.

“It means… that there’s only one bathtub and… people share.”

“Oh fuck no!” Keith shouts. “No way, what? Like… Naked? Naked-naked?!”

“Keith,” Shiro takes her by the shoulders, trying to bring her back to the situation. “Listen. It’s going to be alright, yeah? Maybe she’s finishing. So it’s just you and me, ok?”

Just Shiro and her. Naked. 

“Ah…” 

“It’s ok. We’ll keep our gaze on eye level and that’s it, ok?” Shiro squeezes her shoulder and then lets go. 

Keith absently looks at Shiro as she takes out the towel and then starts to undress right there beside her, leaving her clothes in the basket. She takes her eyes away and shyly starts to do the same. Her hands tremble as she pulls her sleeping clothes up and just drops them in the basket before wrapping herself in the towel. 

Shiro opens the door and steps in, Keith follows her. The room’s big enough for more than three people, talking about space, but Keith has a lot of trouble processing that’s actually how the bathing works in this country. It’s so weird even the lady in the bathtub greets them with a freaking smile. 

“Oh shit…” Keith breathes out.

“Here. You have to wash yourself before getting into the bathtub.” Shiro guides her and finally takes a seat in one small plastic chair in front of one of the manual showers. 

Keith can only nod before she finds herself staring at Shiro. She’s perfectly aware of what she’s doing, the sound lets her know when Shiro takes her towel off and then she hears the water starting to run. 

She has no option but to follow through, sitting a few showers away from Shiro and trying to figure out how to be quick with all of this. She manages the quickest shower she’s ever had and luckily, before she’s done, the lady leaves the bathroom and they stay there on their own. With this, Keith wants to leave that seat where she felt incredibly exposed and goes straight to the bathtub. 

Once in there, she closes her eyes and tries to relax, the water is nice and warm and it makes her tired legs feel a lot better, it’s the kind of rest she couldn’t have during the night sleeping on the plain futon. But when she opens her eyes again, she finds an image quite tempting. 

She knows she promised to look away… But she cannot take her eyes away from Shiro’s back before her eyes. 

There’s steam in the bathroom and the image gets a special glow with how the morning light goes through all of it, Shiro’s hair falls on her back, as white as the soft steam clouds, and water runs down her muscles in such an enchanting way it gets her entirely captivated. Shiro’s waist is a delicious treat to her eyes, the dimples at the end of Shiro’s back make Keith’s pulse burn, and the strong curve of her hips has Keith’s mouth watering. 

All the nervousness she felt just a minute ago vanishes once they’re alone together. Sharing a bath, public or not, is incredibly intimate for Keith and now she only accepts it and takes this as another step up on the relationship they have. She’s calm, so is Shiro. This is trust… Keith would trust her with her body anytime. 

The thought makes her wake up as she realizes what this implies. Her desire grew in seconds and it’s not the moment for it. 

Shiro’s shower stops and Keith looks away as she approaches the bathtub. Keith feels the water clash with her as Shiro enters too and hears her sigh, relieved at the temperature of the water. And there they are… soaking together in a bathtub.

“The onsen baths are pretty much like this,” Shiro tells her. Keith might have heard that word before, but her lizard brain can’t register it at the moment so she just nods. “Well, the water’s hotter, but it’s also… communal, most of the time. You can have a private one but they’re too expensive.” 

“I don’t know if I would do that.”

“Yeah. It’s relaxing.”

“Well…”

“I’m sorry, Keith, I should have asked about the bath.”

“It’s ok…” She mutters, lowering her gaze to her own legs. She can see Shiro’s quite close. “Guess it’s part of the experience. A small town would be an adventure, you said…”

“Yeah…”

“I don’t want anyone to see us so… We should leave before anyone else comes in.” Keith says and sounds nervous again. She even turns to face Shiro this time and it’s really hard to keep her gaze to eye level as they said before.

“Sure. You want to go now?” 

“Ahm. Not yet, it feels good here, just… a minute? Two?”

“Okay, baby,” Shiro chuckles.

They stay in silence for a while; Keith spaces out and bit by bit relaxes in the water, stretching her legs and sinking more and more. Shiro does the same. Once Shiro considers it’s enough, she taps Keith’s shoulder and it honestly feels like she’s waking her up. Keith’s so tired it’s probably true.

“I’ll go first.” Shiro tells her and moves to the edge of the bathtub. 

Keith tries to convince herself not to look, but fails. Water cascades from Shiro’s body as she steps out and Keith can’t take her eyes from her legs as she walks to get her towel. Once she’s alone again, she splashes her face with the water and tries to focus. What a terrible friend she’s being. 

After the incredibly strange experience of the shared bath, they get ready to leave and explore again. With how small the town is, there are just a few interesting things they can do. They buy souvenirs and stop to take some pictures at the interesting corners of the town, just to capture the feeling of the simplicity they see around. Before the sun starts to fall, they go back to the hostel and get changed to go to the beach. 

Before anything else happens, Keith stops Shiro so she can snap some pictures of the beach and her. She looks really pretty in her swimsuit, her hair flows around with the soft wind and the color around works perfectly to frame her. Keith immediately thinks about the whole bathing situation, she’s seen Shiro in a swimsuit before, but now it’s different. Like she knows more. She can’t stop. Even as she’s the one posing for the pictures, her eyes stay glued on Shiro and her mile long legs and… of course she’s caught staring.

Luckily for her, Shiro only asks if there’s something strange on her and that’s it, but Keith can’t function like this forever.

They chase the other, play with the water and even stop to try and build something. They dig for shells and write on the sand in between the moments to swim. When the golden hour comes, they take some more pictures together and record another brief video. 

Even if it’s teasing, Keith feels special any time Shiro calls her baby both on camera and off it. 

When they get back to the hostel, the owner and the other guests are sharing some food and drinks in an impromptu diner. As Shiro tells her, they’re invited to join, and although Keith can’t understand a word, she accepts and stays by Shiro all the time. It’s like it happened at the other hostels and not at the same time. This feels kind of closer, at least in the way the conversation flows before her, Shiro smiles and laughs and Keith loves to see her so relaxed. She’s also pretty calm there, just sipping her beer and munching snacks quietly. 

All the tranquility fades when she faces the futon on the floor again by the end of the night.

She sighs and reluctantly sits over the fabrics, making up her mind to just accept it. Nice days with bad sleep nights are not that terrible, she tells herself, but that’s bullshit. She can’t even buy what she’s trying to sell herself.

Again, she spends one, two hours rolling over again and again, trying to make it better. It’s frustrating, this is the second time and she needs sleep, proper sleep, not just a careless long blink in the bathtub. Sleep. 

“Keith?” 

She stops her sulking and tries to stay still. Shiro sits up and Keith can feel her eyes on her back. 

“Keith?” She asks softly, as if to make sure she’s actually awake and not just madly turning in her sleep. Keith sighs and faces her. “Are you alright?”

“I can’t sleep in this. Sorry I woke you up.”

“Oh, Keith…” Shiro reaches to her and touches her head, she sounds so sweet it kind of hurts. The last thing Keith wanted was to wake her up and worry her with this. “Didn’t you sleep yesterday either?”

“I… Guess I did, somehow, just didn’t feel it.” 

“Don’t try to cover it up now…” Shiro looks down at her own futon. “I have an idea that would make this at least a bit softer, wanna try?”

“Yeah…” Keith rubs her closed eyes, she’d accept pretty much anything at this rate. 

“Get up.” 

Keith does as she’s requested, moving to sit on the floor, that feels exactly like the futon to her. Shiro moves too, knelt between both futons and starts to pile them, she lays her own set of futon base and cover on top of Keith’s base, then she takes the cover and keeps that aside. She gets on that and then pats the fabric of the empty space beside her.

“Come here,” Shiro asks and Keith slowly obeys. 

It’s softer, with two firm bases and the softer cover of Shiro’s futon set, the floor’s definitely not as close as it used to before, it’s more comfortable and she’s grateful, it’s so much better. The only thing that keeps her mind alert and away from the imminent rest she would get with this is the fact that they’re basically going to share. 

It’s not the first time, of course not, but it is since Keith’s crush started to get all over the place. 

Shiro lays down and rolls to her side, taking the cover on top of them and then pulling her pillow from where her futon was before. She shuffles a bit and then just sighs, all while Keith curls on the other side feeling way too warm now. 

“Is it better?” Shiro asks softly.

“Yeah…” 

“I’m glad. Rest well, baby.”

“Yeah, goodnight.” Keith replies, pretending her ears don’t burn with the name.

They stay silent for a while and Keith’s so lost in her own thoughts she’s not sure if Shiro’s asleep already or not, she’s only certain she won’t be able to again. It’s a shame, since the whole point of making this was to make it easier for her to rest, but she can’t do it. She’s not even sure about staying in that position, she wants to turn but doesn’t want to move too much and it’s stupid, this has never been a problem before! At the end, she does turn, but Shiro’s closer than she expected and she’s practically spooning her frame. 

Keith feels immediately better. There’s something too soothing on being this close to Shiro, to her warmth and the discrete scent of her shampoo. Sleeping together has always calmed Keith down, she feels safe and happy with Shiro’s trust too. Bit by bit, she starts to relax and slowly shuffles closer until she’s actually holding Shiro and nuzzling to her shoulder. 

Shiro’s hand moves to touch Keith's wrist, and for a moment she fears Shiro might want her off, but instead, Shiro’s caressing her quite sweetly. 

“Seems like we fit better like this…” Keith says behind her.

“Hmm. Sorry it’s too narrow, I should have thought of something better sooner.”

“It’s ok. I like this,” Keith squeezes her a little bit and gets closer. “Even if I’m more like your backpack than anything else.”

Shiro chuckles and it feels light again.

“Thanks, Shiro… I’m happy we came here.”

“So am I. Though it might have been a better idea to book something before dragging you to a place like this. Adventures aren’t really my thing, this place must be too strange for you. Not a bed, not even a conventional bathroom, fuck, I’m sorry about that, Keith.”

“Hey, don’t…” Keith caresses her this time. “Don’t beat yourself because of that, you’ve done a great job with the entire trip. Not everything’s perfect. Besides, it’s not that terrible.”

“It isn’t?” Shiro moves a bit, as though she’s trying to see Keith behind her. 

After realizing what she said, she wants to hide at all costs.

“I mean… the bathtub was nice and warm. Yeah.”

“You know what I was talking about when I brought that up.”

“I know, just… It’s part of the culture, I don’t want to be a whiny American. I’m already useless with anything that involves speaking or reading here.” Even when Keith does know what Shiro’s talking about, this is also true. 

Shiro’s been patient and explaining everything for her, from why she shouldn’t apply makeup in public to how the train tickets work. She has been relearning a lot of things and to stop her automatic judgements, this issue is just another one of those things. 

“I don’t think you’re like that. Besides, this is a whole new level of shock. It’s ok not wanting to share that kind of space with anyone, I’m… I’m sorry I stayed with you instead of waiting outside.”

“It’s fine, Shiro! I told you, I wouldn’t ask you to stop anyone in the house from doing what they know. And I’d never mind you being there, I’d gladly share everything with you. Besides, it’s not like I don’t want to see you.”

They go silent for a second. Keith wants to take it back, maybe it’s better if she pretends it was a bad experience and takes back anything that could suggest how pleasing it was to share that moment with Shiro. She’s nervous, and hopes this same feeling keeps her mouth shut instead of spilling anything else.

Shiro manages to turn around and lays facing Keith, the space is way too thin between them and even when it’s dark, Keith can clearly see the light of Shiro’s eyes.

“Were you watching?” She asks softly, she doesn’t sound mad.

“I…”Keith stammers. “I couldn’t help it, you’re…”

“Hot.” Shiro finishes the phrase. She’s smiling. 

Keith wants to go down and drown herself into the fucking communal bathtub.

“You said that before…” 

“I meant the dress, Shiro.” Keith hides, trying to press her face to the pillow, not wanting Shiro to see her face combusting.

“Well, you didn’t say _it looks hot,_ nor _you look hot in that_ . I remember, it was just _you’re hot_.”

“I…” Keith mumbles against the pillow, not ready to see her yet. 

“Oh. Shit.” Shiro breaks the silence, her voice no longer calmer. In fact, she even sounds a bit scared. Her voice trembles as she goes on. “Keith, I-ah… I thought… I’m sorry, just… Ignore it, shit, of course you didn’t mean like… I’m sorry, Keith, ignore this.” 

Keith feels her move, no longer close to her and it also makes Keith get alert. 

Shiro’s curling away from her. 

“Wait, what’s wrong?” Keith chases her, stopping her from turning around and wanting to see her. “I didn’t mean it like what, Shiro?”

Shiro looks at her, silent. She bits her bottom lip and looks down, embarrassed. 

“You mean… that I was flirting with you?” Keith sumes up, her voice going gentler. 

“Of course not. I get it, please, just… Forget it, ok?” Shiro closes her eyes and escapes from Keith’s image before her, she sounds weak. 

Having Shiro look this scared and sad wasn’t what Keith wanted. In fact, she’s been pretty glad to see Shiro always bright around her, this is not the reaction she expected when the whole hot comment came up, it’s strange, Keith was the one being teased before and now… Now Shiro’s hiding. Just like Keith did when she admitted something too directly.

It’s just like that.

“Shiro…” Keith calls her, touches her shoulder and gets closer again, holding her. Her heart beats like crazy, she’s sure it’s loud enough to be heard downstairs too, but she can’t go on like this. She has to know. Shiro has to know. 

“I’m sorry I’m making things weird,” Shiro whispers, not looking up yet. “I’ve been thinking about telling you before but I wasn’t sure you would… And now I know. I’m sorry, I won’t bring that up… we can still be friends…”

“I like you a lot, Shiro.”

Shiro tenses a bit and, finally, looks up to face Keith.

“I like you a lot,” Keith repeats now that she has Shiro’s attention. “I… I did mean you’re hot. With the dress, the kimono or anything else, and of course without… God, you’re hot. And yes, I looked, I’m fucked up and I did stare at you when I could. I love your looks and your grace and how good you are to me, I love you.”

“Keith…”

“I love you!”

Shiro holds her and somehow manages to kiss her. Well, her lips land on the corner of Keith’s mouth, but that’s close enough to make her shut up and to have her heart flipping. 

“Don’t be loud.” Shiro tells her in a whisper as her thumb runs over Keith’s lips.

“Just find my lips and kiss me already, Shirogane.” 

“I’m trying,” Shiro admits and it’s kind of fun. Keith smiles and feels Shiro doing the same when her mouth finally presses to her. 

They hold on to each other, pulling closer and closer as they figure out how to blend this eagerness into their kisses. The futon has suddenly enough space for both of them and way more than needed, their legs tangle and their arms won’t let the other get away. It’s heated, needy and just makes Keith’s blood boil beneath her skin under Shiro’s touch. She gasps and is quieted every time by Shiro’s skilled lips. She touches and touches, sneaking her hands down Shiro’s shirt and enjoying the touch of the body her eyes already know from memory. 

“I love you,” Shiro tells her too, and she has to make Keith stop from getting too loud, kissing her again and muffling her cries into her mouth. “We’ll be in trouble if we get caught…”

“We can always sleep on the beach like I told you.” Keith adds, nuzzling to her and sounding suddenly smitten, her smile tells a similar story. 

“No, no.” Shiro shakes her head and goes back to kissing Keith. 

They spend the rest of the night like that, kissing and touching and reaffirming their feelings for one another, as discreetly as possible. They endlessly whisper _I love yous_ to each other and seal those words with hungry kisses. 

Keith wants to say so much more, to tell her all the things that made her fall for Shiro again and again; she wants to ask her why and how did she end up feeling the same things and yet, she doesn’t want to push more. A part of her is still scared about making it all fade, nervous because of how delicate and precious this is for her.

It’s her biggest dream, right there at hands reach. 

Shiro’s in her arms, Keith doesn’t want to lose this privilege. So she takes it and holds on to it for dear life.

The next day’s the last in that small town. The bath time's a lot different than the day before. Keith doesn’t try to hide the fact that she’s looking and even when the notion of Shiro’s eyes on her makes nerves crawl up her spine, she accepts it entirely. When they’re alone in the bathtub, she gets a couple of kisses so heavenly she feels hotter than the water they’re soaking in. It makes the previous night replay in her head and makes her sigh, enamoured. 

They spend the day out, taking pictures and revisiting some of the places they already know. The other guests of the hostel make a barbecue at the beach and Shiro and Keith join them too. They take pictures together and enjoy the rest of the evening until it’s time for them to take the train back to Tokyo. They wave goodbye and pay for everything, then go to the station and give the bicycles back. 

Back in the city, they feel a little freer. Shiro warns her about how the country’s still too conservative in regards to public affection, but they still hold hands and stay close to take pictures here and there. Shiro still calls her baby. Keith’s slowly getting used to the way it burns her skin, becoming easier to handle with how quick she starts to believe just how affectionate the word is. 

They spend a night at one of those hostels they stayed before, and it’s hard to accept they no longer have that private space just for them, but they manage. 

“I’m even going to miss our shared bath time,” Keith admits as they brush their teeth in the bathroom.

“Oh… Really? Well, ahm, we could do it some time once we’re back home…” 

Keith smiles and kisses her cheek, leaving a wet minty print on her skin. 

“I’d love to have you, Shirogane-san.” 

Shiro chuckles and turns away from the mirror, and when Keith catches a glimpse of her face, she can see her reddening to the tips of her ears. She’s way too cute to Keith. 

“Let’s just go to sleep,” Shiro says, smiling nervously and finishing to wash her mouth. 

“Yup!” Keith accepts and hurries too.

They go back to sleep and even when they’re not sharing as it happened in the small town they just left, she’s still happy to be together. This trip has been the best decision she’s ever made. 

During their last day in Tokyo, Keith gets Shiro a nice gift and she goes through a new confession, she confirms her feelings for Shiro once again and their relationship evolves to a next level. She’s happy with the certainty that comes knowing she’s loved too, that her girlfriend loves her. 

Going back home it’s just the beginning of a new adventure, one they’ll go on together, closer than ever.


End file.
